Harrington An Amnesty Victim
Yes, the NBA is still locked out that probably won’t change for a while.
However, one thing that has not been an issue during the discussions is the Amnesty Clause. Widely known as the Allan Houston rule, the clause allows players to release a player from their team, and still pay their salary without being hurt by the luxury tax.
On the Denver Nuggets the most likely victim is Harrington, since the Nuggets seem to have little use for the veteran power forward, who was brought in to stretch the floor an help Carmelo Anthony out.
Harrington is set to earn between $20 and $28 million over the next four years and currently has the second biggest contract on the Nuggets.
Other players that may be Amnesty victims as well and could pique the Nuggets interest are:
- Marvin Williams (Atlanta) – he is due to make more than $23 million over the next three years and never lived up to his 2nd pick in the draft hype. Williams is starting to find a role in the League, thanks to his defense. But on offense, he will never become the go-to guy.
- Ben Gordon/Rip Hamilton (Detroit) – the Pistons have a list of players they can use the clause on. Among them are big men Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, Hamilton and Gordon. It is pretty apparent that Hamilton’s days in Detroit are done, but does that mean you straight up cut him? Despite turning 34 in February and making over $12 million the next two seasons, he still has value on the trade market.
Villanueva and Maxiell are each untradeable due to their contract and their lack of production.
Gordon may also be untradeable, he hasn’t been the scorer in Detroit which he was in Chicago and he is due to make more than $37 million over the next three years. Certainly if the Pistons use the clause on him the Nuggets would be interested in Gordon, who is deadly from behind the arc. Ironically, he was the player the Pistons were trying to acquire when they traded Arron Afflalo to free up money. - Mike Miller (Miami) – Miller was supposed to be a valuable role player for the so-called Dream Team, but due to injuries he never could get his game going. The Nuggets were trying to trade to acquire his services a few years ago and might be interested in him again at the right cost.
- Drew Gooden (Milwaukee) – While the Bucks could always use their clause on another player, but Gooden has the longest contract on the squad and is by far the not the best player. No doubt, he helps on the glass and can score when motivated but he isn’t worth $27 million/4 years. Gooden is the prototype journeyman, playing on seven different teams in four seasons. He has a rare personality that would fit in well next to Chris ‘the Birdman’ Andersen and he would also give the Nuggets a solid post scorer.
- Brandon Roy (Portland) – The Blazers are in a tough position. They want Roy to retire due to his knees, but their All-Star guard won’t and he doesn’t want to come off the bench. When healthy, Roy is a top-5 shooting guard in the NBA. However, there is doubt he will be healthy ever again due to the lack of cartilage in his knees. Roy, like Carmelo Anthony, is a player that is more successful with the ball in his hand and the Nuggets are looking to go the other way. But Roy is a better all-around player that has a better effort on the defensive side of the ball and is a much better passer.
- Rashard Lewis (Washington) – Lewis has had an interesting career. He was a top prospect coming out of high school and was considered one of the most underrated players in the NBA after posting 20 or more points in three seasons. However, Lewis signed a massive contract with the Orlando Magic and was considered a bust by many. After arguably his worst season of his career, Lewis will be a amnesty casualty and will once again try to return to the All-Star level. Lewis is 32 and could be a starter and valuable asset due to his size and shooting ability. However, he also will hurt a team on defense due to his size and lack of work on the glass.